Spela
Trefalt

Education

D.B.A., Harvard Business School;

M.B.A., University of Kansas;

B.A., Law, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

About Me

I joined Simmons faculty in 2008, after earning a D.B.A. in Management from the Harvard Business School, an M.B.A. from the University of Kansas, and a B.A. in Law from the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia. Prior to my academic career, I spent six years as a human resources management consultant, and eight years working in the media in Slovenia.

I study how professionals manage the demands of work and life outside of work, with particular emphasis on the role of interpersonal relationships in this process. I focus on what enables them to thrive in the context of extremely high work demands and desires for meaningful involvement in other aspects of life. My research appears in academic journals such Academy of Management Journal, European Management Journal, Management Research, Journal of Management Education, and others; in books such as Handbook of Innovative Qualitative Research, and Expanding Boundaries of Work-Family Research, and in other outlets, such as CGO Insights and Management Magazine. I am a member of the Academy of Management, a founding member of the Work-Family Researchers Network, and a faculty affiliate of the Center of Gender in Organizations.

I also serve as an executive coach. I work with professionals who want to grow as leaders, who seek more meaning in their work and more work-life balance. I am certified by the International Coaching Federation and a member of Institute of Coaching at McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School Affiliate.

When I am not working, I love spending time with my husband and two daughters, playing the saxophone, dancing, and enjoying all things delicious.

Trefalt, Š. 2010. “Interpersonal aspects of justice in workplace flexibility enactment.” In S. Sweet, & J. Casey (Eds.), Work and family encyclopedia. Chestnut Hill, MA: Sloan Work and Family Research Network.

Recent Conference Presentations

June 2018: Learning the Ropes: How Professionals Learn to Do Boundary Work (with E. Heaphy). Work and Family Researchers Network Conference, Washington, District of Columbia.

June 2016: Crafting a Meaningful Academic or Post-Academic Career (with Alyssa Friede and Monique Valcour) Work and Family Researchers Network Conference, Washington, DC.

June 2016: A Process Approach to Work-Life Crafting: Cycles of Opportunity and Dead-Ends in a Time-Hungry Occupation (with Emily Heaphy), International Symposium on Process Organization Studies, Corfu, Greece.

June 2014: How national context moderates the effect of family-supportive supervisory behavior on job performance and turnover intentions (with Las Heras, M. and Escribano, P.). Work and Family Researchers Network Conference, New York, NY.